Homopolymer and heteropolymer translocation through patterned pores under fluctuating forces.

We investigate the translocation of a semiflexible polymer through extended patterned pores using Langevin dynamics simulations, specifically focusing on the influence of a time-dependent driving force. Our findings reveal that, akin to its flexible counterpart, a rigid chain-like molecule translocates faster when subjected to an oscillating force than a constant force of equivalent average magnitude. The enhanced translocation is strongly correlated with the stiffness of the polymer and the stickiness of the pores. The arrangement of the pores plays a pivotal role in translocation dynamics, deeply influenced by the interplay between polymer stiffness and pore-polymer interactions. For heterogeneous polymers with periodically varying stiffness, the oscillating force introduces significant variations in the translocation time distributions based on segment sizes and orientations. On the basis of these insights, we propose a sequencing approach that harnesses distinct pore surface properties that are capable of accurately predicting sequences in heteropolymers with diverse bending rigidities.

Gain reversal in the translocation dynamics of a semiflexible polymer through a flickering pore.

We study the driven translocation of a semiflexible polymer through an attractive extended pore with a periodically oscillating width. Similar to its flexible counterpart, a stiff polymer translocates through an oscillating pore more quickly than a static pore whose width is equal to the oscillating pore's mean width. This efficiency quantified as a gain in the translocation time, highlights a considerable dependence of the translocation dynamics on the stiffness of the polymer and the attractive nature of the pore. The gain characteristics for various polymer stiffness exhibit a trend reversal when the stickiness of the pore is changed. The gain reduces with increasing stiffness for a lower attractive strength of the pore, whereas it increases with increasing stiffness for higher attractive strengths. Such a dependence leads to the possibility of a high degree of robust selectivity in the translocation process.